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Sarah Ferguson’s UK-registered charity, Sarah’s Trust, has said it will shut down “for the foreseeable future,” a decision announced days after a fresh release of Epstein-related material reignited scrutiny over the duchess’s past links to Jeffrey Epstein.
A spokesperson said the charity would “shortly close” and described the move as something that had been “under discussion and in train for some months,” while also saying the trustees remained “extremely proud” of the trust’s work.
What Changed This Week
Multiple outlets tie the timing to the publication of “more than three million” pages or documents linked to Epstein, released by the U.S. Department of Justice, material that reporters say includes new or recirculated correspondence and details about relationships around Epstein.
In the new coverage, broadcasters and newspapers describe emails from accounts “believed to be” linked to Ferguson, with language that appears supportive of Epstein, even after his earlier criminal case.
What Sarah’s Trust Is, on the Record
On the public register maintained by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Sarah’s Trust is listed as a charitable incorporated organisation, with Ferguson recorded as chair.
The register describes the charity’s purpose as connecting philanthropists to causes and supporting evidence-based NGOs through grantmaking and programme work.
The same listing provides a snapshot of the charity’s reported finances for the year ending 31 May 2025, including total income of £31,423 and total expenditure of £114,377.
The Longer Arc Behind the Shutdown
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The latest announcement lands after months of reputational pressure around Epstein associations.
In September 2025, reporting documented charities cutting ties with Ferguson after renewed attention to a message to Epstein describing him as a friend, a sign that the controversy had already begun to reshape her philanthropic footprint well before this week’s document release.
The new reporting also situates the story within ongoing public scrutiny around Ferguson’s former husband, Prince Andrew, whose own association with Epstein has been the subject of years of reporting and official attention.
What Is Known, and What Is Not Yet Clear
What is established from the charity’s statement, as reported by major UK outlets, is limited but direct:
- The charity expects to close “shortly.”
- The closure is described as “for the foreseeable future.”
- The trustees say the decision had been developing for months.
What remains unclear from the public reporting so far is the precise wind-down plan, including whether operations will be formally dissolved or paused, how any remaining obligations will be handled, and what happens to partnerships referenced in earlier coverage of the trust’s work.
